‘We all would have enjoyed if Ronaldo had come...’

Panaji: The police were on their toes, as were the airport authorities, and fans buzzed with all-round excitement. The hotel where were booked to stay during their time in Goa even reserved the presidential suite and the room next to it for security reasons, just in case Cristiano Ronaldo had a change of heart and decided to make the trip to India.

Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d’Or award winner and ranked among the greatest footballers of all time, missed the previous two AFC Champions League Two games, home and away, and will now sit out of the group-stage clash against FC Goa at the Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, on Oct 22.


The Portugal superstar’s absence left many disappointed. Outstation fans have cancelled their trip and some who had booked higher-priced tickets even put it for sale at a discount. The craze for “complimentary passes” hasn’t died down, though it’s no longer the most sought-after piece of paper, with tickets priced from Rs 2,500 for the lower stands behind the goals, to Rs 25,000 for the VIP enclosure.

“Of course, we all would have enjoyed if Ronaldo had come and, as a footballer, you always want to play against the greats of all time, but when the game starts, I think it becomes more of a story to tell later, that I played against Ronaldo,” said FC Goa captain Sandesh Jhingan. “When the game kicks off, you don’t really look at (the names of) your opponents. You just want to make sure you do your job, in the best way possible.”

Goa face Al-Nassr in what is going to be a lopsided contest. The Saudi Pro League giants are favourites to emerge champions in Asian football’s second-tier club competition, and have convincingly won both games so far.

Even without Ronaldo, they have a formidable side with several stars, some of them among the bigger names in the game with glittering careers.

There’s Portugal forward Joao Felix, who scored a hat-trick in the previous Saudi Pro League game and is in terrific form since leaving Chelsea. Sadio Mane, a Uefa Champions League and Premier League winner with Liverpool, has also made the trip to Goa. The Saudi contingent also includes the likes of Spain defender Inigo Martinez—an influential player with Barcelona last season—and Kingsley Coman, who won 12 league championships across France, Italy, and Germany, and collected 21 trophies with Bayern Munich alone.

Al Nassr are coached by Jorge Jesus, who said the visit to Goa was special due to the Portuguese connection with a state they ruled for over 450 years.

“With a lot of pride, as a Portuguese, I have to come play in Goa,” Jesus told reporters during the pre-match media interaction on Tuesday. “Portuguese history has beautiful chapters on our links with Goa. We remember our ancestors, who were here before. We have come here to win the game. With due respect to our opponents, we have come here to win as we are very close to qualifying for the next stage (of the competition).”

Even without Ronaldo, FC Goa are expecting a full house for Wednesday’s encounter.

Elaborate arrangements have been made. Two medical kiosks have been set up on the north and south stands, there’s a medical room in the east stand, while two ambulances, two motorcycle ambulances, and a private ambulance for spectators will be available. The nearest hospitals have also been alerted.

Security arrangements have also seen an upgrade. From a normal deployment of 130 policemen, the number has risen to 650 on duty, besides 130 to control traffic and 230 private security officials. There’s a watchtower too, to control flow of movement, to ensure there is no stagnation.

“Even if Ronaldo is not here, Al-Nassr are probably the biggest club to play in India,” said FC Goa CEO Ravi Puskur. “Their foreign players are some of the big names of world football, many of them still in the prime of their careers, playing for the national teams of Portugal and Spain. We have done our best with the arrangements and are now looking forward to a memorable night at Fatorda.”

Goa are yet to open their account in the competition. After two games, they have no goals and no points. Al-Nassr have won both matches, while Al Zawraa (Iraq) and FC Istiklol (Tajikistan), the other teams in the group, have three points each.